A giant magnetoresistive (GMR) effect element in the related art includes a first ferromagnetic layer as a fixed magnetization layer, a second ferromagnetic layer as a free magnetization layer, and a nonmagnetic spacer layer provided between the first ferromagnetic layer and the second ferromagnetic layer. That is, the GMR effect element has a structure of a ferromagnetic layer/nonmagnetic spacer layer/ferromagnetic layer. In the GMR effect element, spinning electrons are capable of flowing in the upper and lower ferromagnetic layers with passing through the ferromagnetic layers, in a state where directions of magnetization of the ferromagnetic layers are aligned. A current-perpendicular-to-plane GMR (CPP-GMR) effect element has a magnetoresistive effect smaller than that of a tunnel magnetoresistive (TMR) effect element. Thus, in the GMR effect element disclosed in Patent Document 1 an attempt to improve the magnetoresistive effect by using a Heusler alloy (Co2(Fe, Mn)Si) in the ferromagnetic layer and using Ag in the nonmagnetic spacer layer is provided.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2012-490914.